(DiverWire) A question for underwater photographers – Have you ever had to end a dive before you were done shooting,because the boat’s 40, 50, or 60 minute time limit was up? Has your dive ever been over too soon, because there just wasn’t enough air in your tank or your camera batteries were dead? Or have you ever jumped off the boat at a dive site that made you wonder why they ever installed a mooring ball there? If you are an underwater photographer, or videographer, you can likely answer YES to all of these.
The Cathy Church style of boat diving at Sunset House at her Underwater Photofest addresses all of these issues! The second Cathy Church Underwater Photofest will be May 12-19, 2012 at Sunset House on Grand Cayman. Space is running out, but spots are still available.
What’s special about the Cathy Church Underwater Photofest? First of all, participants will go only to Cathy’s favorite dive sites with the most beautiful, unique and “fishiest” locales – proven to be photographically productive and relatively shallow ( 40 – 50 feet to allow extended bottom times). Grand Cayman’s famous wall dives will be part of the week, too and dived to the boats routine profile, with a second shallow diver of approximately 90 minutes to follow. The Sunset Diver crew will also make a stop at the legendary Stingray City, the world’s most exciting 12 foot dive!
So, how do these extra-long bottom time photo dives work? After the briefing, the dive deck will be open for a whopping 150 minutes. You can dive, shoot, come up when you get low on air, get some water, or fruit while your tank is being changed (you don’t even have to get out of the water). The back down you go, shoot some more, come back, get out and change your camera batteries and/or memory card while your tank is being changed, hydrate and so it all over again until your 2.5 hour dive is up. There will be photo coaches assigned to each boat who will work with the divers in the water, helping out with a nudge of a strobe arm, or writing a note of advice on a slate, or pointing at a lovely subject to shoot.
Once back at Sunset House, you will have time for lunch, a well earned nap, more diving on the great shore dive steps from your room (one of the best shore dives in Grand Cayman where fish come up to you to get their picture taken!) – Whatever you like. Fun and informative lectures and critiques from Cathy and her knowledgeable staff will be available. You choose which lectures you want to attend, OR attend them all on subjects as Composition, Advanced Lighting, Photo or Video Editing. You will also have lots of chances to socialize with the other underwater photographers and divers – sharing fish tales and cocktails as you want the spectacular sunset at the famous My Bar! An Excellent Week to Advance your Skills, especially if you intend to teach Digital Underwater Photo at your store or location.
Nowhere else will you find the quality and style of photo friendly diving that we will be offering this week.
For more information on more on the event, pricing, reservations and schedule, go to 2012 Cathy Church UW Photofest at Sunset House
